Method of utilizing free oxygen in the production of cement and iron



Jan 2% 1932.. c. B. HILLHOUSE 1,842,609

METHOD OF UTILIZING FREE OXYGEN IN THE PRODUCTION OF CEMENT AND IRON Filed March 12, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l am 26 TQEd. Q WLLHOUSE 1,842,609

METHOD OF UTILIZING FREE OXYGEN IN THE PRODUCTION OF CEMENT AND IRON Filed March 12, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Watente den. 'Y 13% LES B. HILLHOUSE, 01! NEW YORK, N.

ZU'I'HOI) 'DI' UTILIZING FREE DXYGEN IN THE PRODUCTION cream AND 1301f Application :llled larch 12,1999, Serial No. 346,364, and in Italy April 14, 1928.

This invention relates to a method of utilizing free oxygen in the production of cement and iron and in the saving of carbon dioxide dissociated from limestone. 5 The cement and iron'part of this process is intended to be an improvement on Patents Nos. 1,366,383 and 1,555 283 issued to me on Janna 25, 1921 and eptember 29, 1925, respectively, and also on patent for a mufiled gas regenerator No.;1,163,922 issued to me on December 14, 1915. i

A very high temperature must be had in the cement fusion turnace to maintain higher e m'licates in a state of fusion. This can readily be obtained by using free oxygen as combustion medium, while with air itis a diificult operation. p Also using an independent combustion heating agent with an unmuflled flame in the as regenerator instead of a muflied furnace is believed to be a distinct improvement and for which applications for patents are now ding. Here, too, 0 gen ma be used to burn carton to incomp ete com ustion, so as to so ply heat tor regeneration of gases brou t into the regenerator, when it is desira le to do so. 1n both above patents for cement'and iron air was used for combustion in both furnaces, the gas regenerators were of the muflled type. In my Patent No. 1,163,922, the gas generator was also of the mufiled type. i

The other new subjects enter the process as a part of the whole cycle.

Essentially "the method consists in first obtainin carbon monoxide gas then burning it in ee oxygen in a cement iurnace or in cement and iron furnaces, closed to the atmosphere, and then regenerating the gases of combustion in a continuous eye 0.

The oxygen for use with this method may he provided from any source, as for instance, lrom electrolysis of water, and the hydron dissociated from the water may be used or hydrogenation purposes such as hydrogenation of petroleum and the fixation of nitrogen in the production of synthetic ammeme. M lhe hot gas of combustion (C0,) pro:-

I up in transit the carbon dioxide there duced by the burning of the carbon monoxide" with the free 0 gen is quite pure owing to the exclusion of t e atmosphere from the combustion chamber; and this hot carbon dioxide is passed through a lime kiln and joke 5 secciated from limestone or carbonate of lime and the whole bulk of gas thus obtained is returned for regeneration.

All of these objects are attained by means shown in the accompanying drawings which are all more or less diagrammatic in nature and in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of complete apparatus for carrying my invention into effect.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the metal fusion furnace used in carrying my process into cifect.

Fi 3 is a horizontal section of the same.

Li *e characters of reference refer to like parts in all views. ,5

- Before taking up in detail the means for. carrying the process into effect, it may be well to first consider the nature of the process, and the manner in which it is contemplated to afiect the several materials involve In its simplest form, the invention contemplates the use of free oxygen fci combustion or gasification in the manufacture of cement and iron, the gaingue of the iron ore c, furnishing a suitable proportion of silica for the cement, while a part of the lime made is used to slag iron ore the balance of the lime made is added to this slag to make cement' clinker and gases of combustion or reduction regenerated in a continuous cycle.

.Pressing the processa step farther the oxygenfor the combustion or gasification may be furnished from water dissociated by electrolysis, and the hvdrogen thus obtained may an be used for the fixation of nitrogen in the manufacture of synthetic ammonia or other hydrogenation purposes. Proceeding a step farther a portion or all of the carbon. dioxide dissociated from the limestone may be saved at and regenerated. 9

Referring now to the drawings in detail,

10 represents a gas generator to which dissociated carbon, coal or any carbonaceous material is fed from a hopper 11 by means 101 of a closed conveyor 12 or led into the gas generator by any other means. A device for effecting dissociation of water by electrolysis is shown at 1.3, the hydrogen being conducted by a pipe 14 to a hydrogenation apparatus indicated at 15, and the oxygen being conducted by a pipe 16 to a blower 17 and thence through a pipe 18 to the several places where needed. Electrical connections from a source of supply 52 to the device 13 are indicated at 13a. Valves are provided in the several oxygen supply pipes to regulate the amount of this gas delivered.

Oxygen is delivered from the pipe 18 to the generator and is there burned with excess carbon either from the conveyor 12 or from another source which will be presently described. Combustion will be incomplete forming carbon monoxide, or if any complete combustion does occur, the heat is maintained high enough to cause regeneration of the carbon dioxide in contact with incandescent carbon.

Part of the hot carbon monoxide formed 2'5 in the generator 10 is passed by a conduit 19 to an ore reducing furnace 20 or carbon monoxide or other reducing agent may be otherwise supplied. Iron ore is fed rom a hopper 21 by a conveyor 22 to an ore preheater 23 where the ore is preheatedby means to be presently set forth; and is then passed into the reducing furnace 20where it is reduced to a sponge. The carbon dioxide and part of the carbon monoxide from this furnace is passed through a pipe 24 to a lateral pipe 25 which conducts part of these gases to the preheater 23. Air from a blower 26 passes through a pipe 27 and a branch 28 combining with any carbon monoxide passing off into the heater 23 to cause heating of the ore therein. gThe balance of the hot gases passed to pipe 25 is conducted to a limestone preheater 29, air being fed from pipe 27 through another branch 30, where it is conibusted as in 23 and gases from both, preheaters are discarded.

The sponge iron from furnace or rotary kiln 20 passes into a sump 31, Fig. 2 and is injected into the fusion furnace 32 by means of a pusher 33 operable from a rotating eccentric 34. An inlet is shown at 31a for permitting injection of carbon or other material. The slag level is indicated in Fig. 2 by the dotted line 35, and it will be noted that the sponge is injected into the furnace 32 below this slag level so that the sponge is wet before it contacts with air or the gases in the furnace. Carbon monoxide is conducted from generator 10 to the furnace 32 by one or more tangential pipes 36 and oxygen may be fed to this gas at its point of entry into the furnace 32 by pipes 37 which receive their supply from pipe 18. Though drawings show that oxygen is used in the iron fusion furnace, air may be used instead, asa very aasaeoe gen whereby a maximum of pure carbon dioxide is maintained in the gas regeneration cycle. The tangential entry of thesegases into the furnace causes a slow whirling of the mixture about the furnace and keeps heat applied at the edge of the rotating mass. The molten metal may be taken off at 38 and the slag is taken off at 39 and conducted by a pipe 40 to a cement fusion furnace 41.

The slag taken over into the cement furnace 41 furnishes the silica and a portion of the limefor the production of cement. easy fusing slag in iron fusion furnace low in lime and a high lime slag of cement proportions in cement fusion furnacewhich requires a very high combustion temperature is obtained by burning carbon monoxide with free oxygen. Referring again to F i-g. 1 limestone is fed from a hopper 42 by a conveyor 43 to the preheater 29, and from thence into a lime kiln 44 where the carbon dioxide is dissociated from the lime part of the latter being passed through a flue 45 into the iron fusion furnace 32 and the remainder through a flue 46 into the cement fusion furnace 41. Also carbon dioxide from furnaces 32 and 41 is passed through flues 45 and 46 to the kiln 44 where it effects dissociation of the limestone by its sensible heat. Carbon monoxide is fed from generator 10 to the cement fusion furnace 41 by a pipe 47 and oxygen is supplied from pipe 18 by a pipe 48. The cementitious slag or clinker is carried off from furnace by a conduit 49, a shotting device being indicated at 50 and is ready to be ground into cement.

The carbon dioxide passed to the lime kiln 44 by fiues 45 and 46 together with the carbon dioxide liberated in the kiln is passed off from the kiln and conducted by a pipe 51 back to the generator 10 for regeneration into carbon monoxide. This carbon dioxide during its travel through the pipe 51 is reheated. This heating may be accomplished by any suitable means other than electric energy. After the returning gas has been thus preheated, it may be subjected to a further heating just before entering the generator, by conducting carbon monoxide from the generator 10 through a pipe 55 and burning it with oxygen supplied by a pipe 56 from the supply line 18, shooting the flame thus produced directly into the returning carbon dioxide justprior to its entry into the generator 10.

The returned carbon dioxide is regenerated in generator 10 and part of the resulting carbon monoxide starts the cycle over while the surplus may be taken ed through one or more pipes 57. The generator 10 may be beats in any suitable manner, as for instance f by combustion in the same chamber as the gas making materials.- Steam may also be entered into the generator 10 in desired quantity by a pipe 68..

lit will now be. understood that by excludl l ing the atmosphere from the members 10, 32

.ity and convenience.

t l preheaters; the hydrogen'from the water distill till

bill

sociator is utilized for hydrogenation purposes; sensible heat in the carbon dioxide from the cement fusion furnaces is utilized for the dissociation of limestone; the slag from the iron fusion furnace is utilized to furnish the silica for making cement while lime is obtained from dissociated limestone; the pure carbon dioxide from the cement fusion furnace and the lime kiln is'returned to the generator and regenerated into carbon monoxide, and oxygen may be furnished by dissociation of water. Thus a complete cycle is obtained, the only waste products are the gases passed of through the preheaters and some discarded coal ash.

"While l have described what l consider to be the most desirable-"manner of carrying my intention into efiect, it is obvious that manyof the details could be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, and l, therefore, do not limit myself to the exact details set forth nor to anything less than the whole of my invention as herein described and as hereinafter claimed,

l claim: l. llhe method of ntilizin free oxygen in the production of cement and iron and in the saying of carbon dioxide diated from limestone which consists in causi oxygen to combust with carbon monoxide in an iron fusion furnace to increase the furnace perature and then passing the hot a: a. of combustion therefrom thru a lime ki to dissociate limestone, withdrawing fronrthe kiln an increased quantity of carbon dioxide and passing same, without having any nitro gen or inert gases accompanying it, thru a gas regenerator containing carbonaceous ma terial which is maintained incandescent by combustion in the same chamber. E2. 'ihe process of making cement clinker with an iron orsteel by-product which comprises passing iron ore through a reducing retort, supplying carbon monoxide to said retort from, a generator, feeding the; reduced ore to an iron fusion furnace, supplying car bon monoxide to said fusion furnace from said enerator, supplying oxygen to said fusion mace, said carbon monoxide and ox n being admitted tangentially into Said fiirnace to provide a whirling of the gases during combustion thereof to carbon dioxide,

assin a portion of the carbon dioxide orme through a limestone retort to eflect formation of lime in said retort, passing-a, portion of carbon dioxide from said limestone retort to said carbon monoxide generator whereby to save carbon dioxide formed in said furnace and limestone retort and feed ing the lime formed into said furnace.

3.. The process of making cement clinker with an iron or steel by-product which comprises supplying carbonaceous material and oxygen to a gas regenerator and maintaining said regenerator incandescent by combustion therein, whereby to form carbon monoxide, passing iron-ore througha reducing retort and feeding the reduced iron ore to an iron I y fusion furnace, supplying carbon monoxide to said furnace from said regenerator, supplying oxygen to said furnace passing a portion of the carbon dioxide formed through a limestone retort to efiect formation of lime,

in said retort, passing a portion of carbon dioxide from said limestone retort to said carbon monoxide regenerator whereby to save carbon dioxide formed in said furnace and said limestone retort, and feeding thelime formed intojsaid furnace;

4.. The process of making cement clinker with an iron or steel by-product which comprises passing iron orethrough a reduc' g retort, supplying carbon monoxide to said retort from a generator, feeding the reduced ore to an iron fusion furnace, supplying carbon monoxide to said fusion furnace from said generator, supplying oxygen to said fusion furnace, passing a portion of the carbon dioxide formed through a limestone retort to eflect formation of lime in saidretort, passing' a portion of carbon dioxide from said limestone retort to said carbon monoxide generator whereby to save carbon dioxide formed in said furnace and said limestone retort and f i .1 1 1 the lime formed into said furnace.

b. method of utilizing free oxygen in the production of cement and iron and in, the saving of carbon dioxide dissociated from limestone which consists in causing oxygen to oombust with carbon monoxide in an iron fusion furnace so as to increase the furnace tem erature, passing the hot gases of combastion therefrom through a line kiln to dissociate limestone, withdrawing the increased quantity of carbon dioxide from the kiln and passing same, without having any nitrogen or inert gases accompanying it, through a gas regenerator containing carbonaceous material which is maintained incandescent by combus- Y tion in the same chamber, whereby to produce llll lid

no I

carbon monoxide, passing iron ore through a reducing retort and feeding the reduced iron ore to said iron furnace, passing slag from said iron" fusion furnace to a cement fusion furnace, and supplying carbon monoxide from said gas regeneratorto said cement fusion furnace.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES B. HILLHOUSE. 

